If you’re asking yourself what the hell happened in 2020, you’re not alone. At first, I thought I might just make a list of “bad things that happened in 2020” but that’s a little too simplistic for the complex mix of emotional turmoil that is 2020.
So, it’s probably more accurate to call this a list of the big things that happened in 2020. Honestly though, “big” is subjective. Tiger King ringin’ a bell? I mean that makes the list…
2020 has been one helluva year. It’s hard to keep track of everything that has happened this year, but this timeline is a way to look back at all the significant (and sometimes ridiculous) events of 2020.
See 43 gift ideas based on the rollercoaster timeline that was 2020 here.
Of course as far as the U.S. goes, there was a ton of buzz all year about the upcoming presidential election. There was also another kind of buzzing… but I’ll get to that later.
We might’ve expected 2020 to be a lot with just the presidential election in the air, but as fate would have in, there would be something else in the air too…
FIRE!
Not what you thought I was gonna say? THAT’S BECAUSE 2020 IS ONE HELLUVA YEAR. There’s a lot to unpack.
Yes. Fire. For those who forgot that this was also a thing that happened in 2020, Australia was on fire at the start of the year. But you’re right, fire wasn’t the only thing floating through the air in this, the year of all the fuckery.
There was also… RADIATION!
Again, not what you expected?
To add to the list of fun things that happened in 2020, Chernobyl – yes, that Chernobyl – caught fire, releasing radiation into the smoke-filled air. Apparently, this has happened before. Feeling safer yet?
Buckle up kid, 2020 is one big rollercoaster of WTF.
Finally, yes, the biggie. The thing that made masks a world-wide political fashion statement, The ‘Rona. Coronavirus started rolling down the tracks in January but was a fully out-of-control train on radioactive-fire by about March.
We all got a taste of that shutdown life and the year 2020 effectively became the year of pleasedonttouchme and quarantine activities.
The time of the introvert had arrived.
It’s probably impossible for me to really get to ALL the big evens of 2020, but lets hit some of the highlights.
What happened in 2020: A Timeline
January – Australia on fire.
January 3 – The killing of an Iranian military general had everyone thinking we were gearing up for WW3.
January 7 – WHO is notified about Coronavirus.
January 26 – Kobe Bryant and his daughter were killed in a helicopter crash along with John Altobelli and wife Keri, their daughter Alyssa, Christina Mauser, and Sarah Chester and her daughter Payton.
January 31st – Brexit finally happened. Gotta be honest, that whole thing seems like a fire dumpster, but it does seem very on brand that it happened in 2020.
Somewhere in here – The Mandalorian and Baby Yoda took over.
February 24 – The rapist Harvey Weinstein was officially convicted of rape and other sexual crimes.
March 11 – Coronavirus is declared an official pandemic.
March 13 – Breonna Taylor was shot to death in her home by police, in the police report her injuries were listed as “none.” Her story would eventually become one of the most recognized in the country and the world.
March 16 – Stock markets go through the floor. Buncha noobs with Robinhood accounts start buying. We are all Gordon Gekko.
March somethin‘ – Toilet paper becomes the new currency of the realm.
March 20 – Tiger King came to Netflix and our lives will never be quite the same. Case in point, the stocking stuffers…
April – Chernobyl (or technically the forest around it) is on fire.
April 18 – 22 people were killed in a shooting in Nova Scotia, which was called the worst mass shooting in modern Canadian history. Here is some info about the victims.
April 25 – Kim Jong Un is both dead and alive at the same time. Schrödinger’s Kim.
April 27 – The government kinda pretty much exactly said UFOs are real. And pretty much everyone was like “K” and went on with their day. Because 2020.
April somethin’ – We’re all suddenly outdoorsy people.
May 4 – The buzz truly began here. The buzz of murder hornets. Why not.
May 6 – Video footage of Ahmaud Arbery being shot and killed was released, creating a spark that would soon ignite into a full-blown movement.
May 25 – George Floyd was killed on video when a police officer refused to take his knee off of his neck despite bystanders repeatedly asking the officer to stop kneeling on his neck. The reaction to the footage was immense and immediate, with BLM protests irrupting across the globe.
Somewhere in the middle of all this – Mask-wearing becomes the height of controversy because it violates the first amendment rights of Karens and Carls everywhere. Or something like that.
Also in the middle of all this – Karens have really blossomed.
There’s SO MUCH, guys. Feel free to leave some comments with what’s missing, but I’mma jump ahead a bit here.
September – Homeschooling for all children becomes a thing. Parents are not thrilled.
September 18 – The Notorious RBG passes away at the age of 87. People freak out a bit.
November 3 – U.S. Presidential election is about as chaotic as everyone expected.
I know I’m missing some stuff and no doubt this is 2020 from a U.S. perspective, so feel free to add anything you think should be included in the comments.
